Sand in the Gears
It wasn't easy to meet people. First you wanted someone who'd get past all the things that most people couldn't get past about you. That was already a big one, especially for someone like Rakim. Then you needed someone who'd be willing and able to...
Saltwater
Mano had tried to have been just as optimistic about them moving from the Middle East to Brazil as she'd been about them having moved from India to the Middle East in the first place. Cephalopods were relentlessly curious creatures, always exploring...
With Strange Aeons
_'That is not dead which can eternal lie,_ _And with strange aeons even death may die.'_ (Abdul Alhazred, Necronomicon) Irshad was not easily shaken. She'd been through enough that it took a lot to faze her by then. Rakim had only seen her cry twice....
Idle Hands
Rakim had sort of told himself ahead of time that his date probably wasn't going to work out to guard against disappointment. He discovered that he didn't fully have a plan for if his date actually did work out, that he wasn't sure if he was even...
Flame War
Despite his best efforts, Rakim's fears around his Irshad's ongoing holy war against the flames continued to grow. "Do... Do you think you're going to be a firefighter for the rest of your life, mother?" Her countenance darkened a bit at this. "I know...
Lemmings
Rakim had flown to Ogun's for their gaming night this time - in the wake of what had happened, they'd become afraid to walk outside. "All right... Let's see, let's see, what do we have here..." The chimera sifted through his games absent-mindedly,...
The Tortoise and the Hare
Rakim felt a cold bead of sweat dripping down his back. "Feel your 'sins crawling down your back,' buddy?" The bat looked up at her, mouth agape. "Huh?" The hare winked at him. "Relax, I'm just kidding around. Good luck, man!" she chirped. ...
For Sore Eyes
Rakim had met Dana after he'd already gone out with Ogun, Soma, and Scylla. He'd still been pre-op at the time. Fortunately, they hadn't had any hang-ups about it. They were an... equal opportunity employer, as far as such matters were concerned....
Second Nature
"Oh, they came up with something new in prosthetics just last year, it turns out," his dragon head turned to the bat as they gamed, back to sitting side by side in his apartment facing his screen, just as they'd been before. "Oh, what?" he tilted his...
Saved
'Who survived, anyone new, anyone else but you?' (Porter Robinson, Sad Machine) It was on their way back to Rakim's place on that night that they first heard the alarm. "Oh shit!" As their brisk walk turned into a frantic run, they got near...
This Machine
_'Someone once told me, there's a land of dreams, where our lives are never done... they go on, and on...'_ (Beads of Tears, Mermaid's Scar) "What do you see?" What a loaded question this always was, she thought. He was doing his best, she couldn't...
Lucifer Economics
"Do angels fall in love, mom?" "Of course not." What silly questions children asked sometimes. "Aw, that's sad." She pouted. Her mother smiled. "Don't worry about them, sweetie. Angels are okay that way. They're used to it." "But why?" She furrowed...